Bosco runs on Ross’s tail, and Mary follows behind, lagging farther and farther with each step. She, unlike everyone else, is not healthy enough to move quickly for long spurts of time. It is difficult for her to move some days, not to mention run. It isn’t until Elijah is almost out of eyesight that he sees her lagging so far behind that she would dramatically slow the group if they noticed.
Elijah stops and allows her to catch up, Isabelle and Ross continuing their run. The clouds are growing nearer, but the town is, as well. Mary can see the building peeking through the trees and knows she must rush. It will most definitely be close, but she believes they can make it. Elijah moves toward her and before she can understand his motives, she is clinging to his neck and clutching fiercely to his back.
While Mary would have thought that Ross was evidently stronger than everyone else in this group, as Elijah peels forward and grows closer to Isabelle and Ross, she realizes maybe Elijah is the strongest. Whatever the case, he is carrying Mary as if she weighs less than Red.
She looks forward and notices something she never would have seen had she been running. In fact, she sees a lot more. Far ahead, there is a large group of people running just as quickly as them toward the city, surely seeing the rains which are coming in their direction. How are they going to make it in time?
“There are more Nectorian,” Isabelle shouts breathlessly. She is looking at the ground beneath her feet and hasn’t noticed the bodies in front of them. Once again, her uncanny ability to sense other aliens has done their group well.
“Keep going straight and there is a little cabin right there. The door is open,” Mary shouts at them. Elijah is breathless and simply nods as they continue. Mary watches as the group in front of them splits in two. From this small distance, they all look unfamiliar. One group rushes into the cabin while the other continues forward. “There are others in the cabin, too,” Mary states.
Isabelle doesn’t so much as hesitate as she speaks. “They will sense me before we come inside. We should be all right. They are all Nectorian.”
As they continue to run, and Mary hangs onto Elijah for dear life, praying she will not fall and slow them. Mary begins hearing something other than their footsteps as they run, and it takes her a moment to realize what is happening. She peeks above her lashes and notices the skies darkening above her and enveloping them in complete darkness.
Once it is dark, Isabelle looks to the sky. “Shit, we need to move,” she screams. Drops begin falling around them and the small cabin draws nearer by the second.
Ross hisses and leans himself over top of Red as he runs, and once they are close enough, he throws the little girl under the safety of the porch. She skids to a halt, undoubtedly scratching her knee as tears begin to flow from her eyes. Mary jumps from Elijah’s back and jumps under the solace of the porch roof. Bosco follows suit, not nearly as frantic as the rest of them. “We made it,” Mary mutters.
“Who are you?” A voice asks from behind them. They whip around and are met with many shining eyes of large men, all mesmerized and looking at Isabelle.
“We’re looking for Jo,” Ross says. Mary nods and looks around, not seeing her. For a brief moment, her heart sinks. She can’t believe they had followed tracks that didn’t lead directly to Jo. She has to warn her.
“I think Jo made it a little farther with the rest of the group,” a woman says, stepping around the large men. Mary gawks at the presence of another woman, surprised that Jo had found one. “I’m Josephine, and we are just a few of the warriors that Jo has gathered to fight back against the Szorians.”
Mary’s eyes widen, and she forces herself to keep her gaze from moving to Ross’s tall form, hunkering in the background. She knows that Isabelle’s ability to sense the Szorian is an odd gift that none of these men possess, but she doesn’t want to put him in harm’s way. “I’m Mary, and this is Red, Ross, Isabelle, and Elijah. We would love to help, but we have a warning first,” Mary starts. “And none of you are going to like it.”
But even with the warning in between them, the apparent Nectorians in the room cannot shift their gaze from Isabelle.
*****
Chapter 19
Jo Leigh
We wait and stare out the transparent glass windows which seem to barely hold during the storm. Lightning flashes across the sky and thunder rolls rapidly. The thunder and dark skies set the mood for Hayden’s mood. He is destroyed by the fact he cannot heal a few minor bruises on my body and a concussion that cripples Carson. Not to mention the acid burns that have Ryan lying on the couch groaning.
I would be lying if I said their names come easily to me. I can hardly distinguish Ryan from Carson, though they are complete and polar opposites. Carson won’t leave Ryan’s side as he lies on the floor beside him, holding his hand. The burns all over Ryan’s skin have burrowed deeper into his flesh and eaten away so much of it, the chance of a full recovery is slim.
The acid that corroded the back of Carson’s neck is undoubtedly causing him pain, as well, but there is nothing that can be done for either of them. Kruze and his human mate, West, stand back, far enough from Hayden to avoid being hit again. The silence in the room is excruciating and I continue to stare out the window, watching as the dark rain slows to a near stop.
“We should really get ready to rejoin the group,” I state, looking around the room. Nobody moves a muscle or speaks. “The rain is slowing,” I continue.
“I don’t know how we’re going to move Ryan,” Carson says, squeezing his boyfriend’s hand. “He would be better off staying here.”
“We need to regroup. I could bring everyone else here if it would make it easier. With everyone combined, we could probably heal him enough to get him back on his feet,” I suggest. I honestly don’t know if that is the entire truth. Hayden couldn’t so much as heal my bruised ribs, so healing flesh wounds would be a stretch for even all of our warriors combined. Something is happening to their abilities and Jo can’t understand why.
“If you go to gather them, I am going with you,” Hayden insists. Part of me knows he is afraid I will leave again, despite knowing the reason behind my madness. Now, he and the rest of us are in the middle of this entire battle.
I nod and he joins me at the door. We move to the small mudroom beside the door and Hayden closes the door behind us, leaving us alone for the first time in what feels like forever. I can’t remember the last time we had alone time together. As soon as the door clicks shut, I surprise him with a small, sweet kiss on his lips.
He looks shocked. “What was that for?” He looks flustered and it makes me smile.
“Not giving up on me,” I reply with a small shrug. Hayden seems to grow six inches when I say that and he envelopes me in the largest, most emotional hug I have ever received from him. He places minimal pressure on my ribs and for that I am thankful. Nothing feels more right than being in his arms, and with the minimal time we have had alone, I haven’t experienced the pure bliss in quite some time.
“I won’t ever give up on you, Jo Leigh. Let’s go find our friends,” he says, grabbing both of my cheeks and guiding them toward his face. I meet them with ferocity and decide that this kiss can’t end so soon. I need him right now. I grab ahold of the back of his hair, which is much longer than it was a month ago.
The territorial groan in the back of his throat is a thrilling indication that he doesn’t want to go either, so I continue, brushing my tongue against his bottom lip and breathing lightly through my nose. My hands explore his shoulders and hair, taking in every aspect of him. His do the same, grazing every part of my body, upper and lower. Some places are innocent and some are slightly less, but it all makes my inside curl and twist in satisfaction.
“You don’t know what you do to me,” Hayden whispers in contentment. What do I do to him that he doesn’t do to me? I smirk and peck his lips once more, not yet unraveling our body parts. We need to stop having hidden make-out sessions and instead do something more intimate, but
the part of me that believes that is severely scolded by the part that enjoys the passion and excitement which follows these acts.
“We really need to go,” I whisper, slightly winded from the physical aspect of being with Hayden.
“We should,” he says. His galaxy eyes don’t leave mine, though. He doesn’t understand how mesmerizing and unique his eyes are to a girl who has always loved the night sky. He is perfect for me in every imaginable way, and for that reason, I will not hesitate to leave him again if it means keeping him safe. It is why I left the first time, and I will not hesitate to do it again, regardless of how much I love him.
I step back and open the door, monitoring the sky and ground. I am shocked by how quickly this rain passed. Usually it lasts multiple days and nights before finally coming to an end. The skies are lighter, and the dark clouds have completely dissolved, leaving the sun shining down on us as we exit the house. Small puddles of black goo lie on the ground and I expertly avoid them as I walk. Before I make it far, I scan my surroundings to ensure that no dark clouds lie on the horizon and I am fortunate when I see there are none.
I make my way in the direction we had come and look around at the rain damage. It covers the trees and grass, making it appear black and rotten, but I know that in a day, the plants will absorb the acid and bloom more readily than before. It’s odd that the rain that poisons humans is able to impact wildlife in such a positive capacity, but the world works in mysterious ways.
I near a building that sits on the outskirts of the town and decide not to go in blind. “Hey, where are you guys?” I shout, knowing that they will hear me if in a close vicinity. I hear nothing and decide to investigate on my own. Hayden grabs my arm and pulls me back, shocking me for a moment. “What are you doing?”
“Let me lead, all right?” he asks with a demanding tone. Something is different with him now that we are outside confined walls. He is always more cautious, but when none of our team replied to my call, he is reasonably concerned. I nod and follow close behind him, taking my gun from my waistband. I haven’t taken a shot since dropping it in the house, but I can only assume it is still functional. It has taken much harder hits than being dropped.
“We’re coming in,” Hayden shouts at the cabin. Neither of us knows for sure whether they are inside or not. It is easy to assume that they took shelter in the nearest house. If I had done that, Ryan wouldn’t be severely injured, but I wanted to be as close to the heart of the city as possible. That mindset led me directly to Kruze and West.
Fate has an incredibly twisted sense of humor.
Hayden rounds the side of the cabin and leads us to the front porch slowly, each of us monitoring the sounds and movements around us. When we find the front door open, Hayden rushes inside immediately and I have his back. Like a literal wall, he stops right inside the doorway, stiff and still, blocking my view of the inside.
“Hayden, what the hell,” I say, pushing past him and looking into the room. The rest of our team sits around the room with an unknown woman in the center. Another unknown man, Mary and Ross lean against the far wall and Red stands beside Mary, looking up at me.
The child looks to be three years old but has the same red hair and brown eyes that everyone has come to adore. I have no doubt that it is Red, but how in the world did she grow so quickly?
I notice Hayden’s figure lowering as he stares at the woman in the middle of the room and I look at him curiously. “Hayden?” I ask. Nobody else seems confused or curious as to what he’s doing, but rather accepting. It’s such an odd action, but I’m beginning to realize that I don’t understand what’s happening here. “What is this?” I ask, desperate to determine what’s happening.
“Apparently she is royalty,” Mary explains, glaring in Isabelle’s direction. “Just like Ruby.” I feel my mouth drop open and can’t believe what is happening. What are the odds that Mary and her Nectorian royalty child would wander upon another royal? And on top of that, I can’t believe Mary and Ross found us, though now that I am out of my depressive state of thinking, I am happy they did.
How could my life become any crazier?
*****
Chapter 20
Jo Leigh
“Get off of your knees,” the woman states. She looks at me with a tilted head. “I assume that you are Jo? Mary and Ross went to great lengths to track you down and find you.”
“Who are you?” I ask, trying to recognize the woman whom I don’t think I have ever met. In fact, I can easily remember all of the other women I have met after the rains. There are not many of them.
“I am Isabelle. The man beside your friend is my mate. His name is Elijah, and he has taken quite a liking to your friend. I would hate to abandon her, but I’m afraid I’m at a disadvantage. I know your name, but who are you, Jo? Who are you to leave a human and a Szorian with a child because of grief? We have all lost someone, Jo, so what gives you the right?” Her voice is demanding and firm, but not cruel.
I do notice every Nectorian in the room staring at Ross with wide, demeaning eyes. Admitting that he is a Szorian may be the worst thing Isabelle could have done, but she doesn’t seem to mind sentencing him to an eternity of doom and loneliness. But aside from her mentioning that Ross is a Szorian, she is right in accusing me of abandonment. After all, that is what I did. “I couldn’t bear to be around the people who my sister had grown to love. When she died, a part of me died, as well. I won’t ever get that part back.”
I know it is no excuse to leave, but putting it into words really helps put it into perspective for me. What I have been feeling—the emptiness, loneliness, and dedication to only stopping the Szorians—originated from the death of Charlie. This entire mission is because of her, and as time goes on, I have been learning to feel a little more and live a little easier. A little over a month doesn’t seem like much time, but after all that has happened, it is plenty.
“You owe Mary Thorne quite a thank you, because she is bringing you information which may assist you greatly,” Isabelle states. I watch as Hayden rises from the floor with wide eyes.
“It is an honor, ma’am,” he tells her with a gracious nod. I’m sure meeting multiple royals is an oddity, especially when there are so few people left.
“How many of you are there?” I ask Isabelle before she is able to respond to Hayden. He, fortunately, doesn’t seem to mind.
“Nobody knows for sure. Some people are born into it and some are born at random. Both me and your child were born with the gift. I cannot be the first to tell you that we are rather rare nowadays. We were rare before, but there are even fewer of us now. Szorians enjoy feeding on us for obvious reasons,” Isabelle explains.
I don’t bother asking about the “obvious reasons” which aren’t so obvious to me or likely any other human in the room. “What is your ability?” I ask.
“That was rather blunt of you. We do not reveal our abilities to just anyone. It can be dangerous for us on some occasions,” Isabelle chastises. I look around the room and find that the Szorians are not paying attention to us, but rather to the Szorian in the room whom I have come to trust with my life. “But my ability, for lack of a better description, allows me to sense when a Nectorian or Szorian is near. For example, I know there are six Nectorian nearby. Only four are in this room right now,” she explains. I rapidly tally the Nectorians in my head and realize she is right.
“How can you possibly know that?” I ask with a furrowed brow. Hayden jerks me into his side and I gasp at the strength of the pull.
He leans down and whispers in my ear. “Don’t ask a Nectorian royal about their powers. It is considered rude,” he explains. Had I known that before, I would have still asked the question.
“Don’t worry about it. Humans don’t often know our customs, but that is all right. I don’t know many of theirs either. I can simply tell you I can sense Szorians and Nectorians, but I will not reveal how I do such a thing. My gift, though, is not nearly as impressive as your child’s,” Isa
belle states, pointing a thumb at Red, who bounces on her toes beside Mary. Mary’s expression can be best described as disgusted and I can understand why. It can’t be easy for her to be around another royal after Ruby.
“Red?” Mary asks, curling her lip. “Red doesn’t have an ability,” she defends.
Isabelle clicks her tongue and walks toward the child with a smile, lifting Red into her arms. Red smiles and watches as Isabelle speaks. “She doesn’t have an ability that you would notice. In fact, I didn’t notice at first, either. It interfered with my gift and I only realized what it was after being with her for a few weeks. Red is a blocker,” Isabelle says, bouncing the little girl up and down before setting her back beside Mary.
“A blocker?” I ask on Mary’s behalf. Mary doesn’t look able to speak.
“She blocks our sixth sense. Nectorians can feel one another nearby just as Szorians can feel each other. I can feel everyone, but when Red feels threatened, she mutes our sixth sense. It isn’t noticeable to humans and it wasn’t noticeable to me at first, either. It is an extremely rare and valuable gift,” Isabelle explains. “It takes away the most important part of who we are.”
“I would know if she could do this,” Mary defends. “Red doesn’t have an ability. She can’t.”
“What could Red’s mama do?” Isabelle asks Mary. If I didn’t know Mary personally, I would wonder why Isabelle doesn’t already know this. By knowing Mary, though, I know that she likes to keep everything with Ruby to herself. Reminiscing on her fallen mate hurts her too much. Personally, I understand.
“I can’t do this,” Mary mumbles before turning and walking out of the front door with an expression of such misery that I nearly cringe. I know there is nothing I can do to help her, but as Elijah follows her, I wonder if he may be the key to her finding happiness again. For her sake, I hope that is the case.
Final Impact: A Dystopian Trilogy (BOUND Book 3) Page 10